at Silvia Turin
The new Omicron variant is likely the most divergent lineage identified this year, with 100 mutations, including 30 in the spike. But infections are not increasing and protection from vaccines and previous infections is not expected to be compromised to a greater extent
A new hyper-mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been isolated in South Africa. of the Omicron strain and presents over 100 peculiar mutations, of which more than 30 in the spike protein (the part that the coronavirus uses to attach to human cells).
This was reported by Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, already head of the team that first identified Omicron. Oliveira published on the public portals that collect the sequences of SARS-CoV-2 eight new genomes which he defined as probably the most divergent lineage identified this year which is called: BA.2.X (or also BA.2.87.1). The new sub-variant was detected in 8 samples from three districts in the provinces of Limpopo and Gauteng between 20 September and 29 November 2023. According to the scholar (who proposes an updated genetic map of Omicron, see figure on page) it could to have emerged from BA.2 or from the basal node of Omicron. In addition to the mutations, the variant has 7 deletions, putting it simply, 7 missing parts of the virus compared to previous lineages.
The degree of transmissibility and pathogenicity is still unknown – clarifies de Oliveira on X -. South Africa has increased genomic surveillance, with very little sign that this new lineage is spreading widely and replacing the currently dominant BA.2/JN.1. Protection from vaccines and previous infections is not expected to be more severely compromised by these spike mutations than by spike mutations found in other circulating lineages, such as XBB and JN.1 (we talked about it HERE, ed.), concludes the scholar.
Covid will remain to bother us and gradually different variants will pass the baton cyclically every 4-6 months, observes the virologist of the State University of Milan, Fabrizio Pregliasco, to beraking latest news Health. The cyclical nature, unlike what happens with the flu – he points out – will not necessarily be linked to winter. The coronavirus will continue to mutate, but the human species knows how to defend itself from old and new variants: we have safe and effective vaccines. Let’s use our brains and get vaccinated, declares Pier Luigi Lopalco, professor of hygiene at the University of Salento. It doesn’t seem worrying at the moment, adds Giovanni Rezza, former director of Prevention at the Ministry of Health and now extraordinary professor of Hygiene at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, regarding the new variant.
Based on the sequencing data available in the national I-Co-Gen platform, in Italy in the last five weeks of sampling (data from 22 January 2024) an increase in the proportion of sequencing attributable to the JN.1 variant of interest continues to be observed , derived from Pirola, with a value of 70.5% in the last consolidated week (01-07 January 2024). However, Covid infections are decreasing: in the week between 25 and 31 January 2024, 3,859 new positive cases of Covid-19 were recorded, a decrease of 33.6% compared to the previous week (5,810 cases) and 115 deaths (-43 ,3%, 203). The positivity rate at 2.6% is down 1% compared to seven days ago (3.6%). The employment rate in the medical area as of 31 January was 3.5% (2,169 hospitalised) compared to 4.3% on 24 January (2,691) and in intensive care at 1.2% (106 hospitalised) compared to 1 .4% previous (121).
The last few months – comments the director of Prevention of the Ministry of Health, Francesco Vaia – have definitively highlighted in an unequivocal way that we are faced with the endemicization of SARS-CoV-2 (when a virus becomes permanently present in the population, like ‘flu, ed.).
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February 2, 2024 (modified February 2, 2024 | 4:51 pm)
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